Environmental ConservationOur involvement

Our playground is a World Heritage Site

The Whitsundays and the Great Barrier Reef truly are one of the natural wonders of the world. Dramatic coral reefs, sub tropical forests, a rich cultural history and diverse wildlife have made the Whitsunday Islands their home for thousands of years. Exploring this unique world both above and below the water is an incredible experience. As a leading tourism operator, it is our responsibility to set a standard for protecting this fragile environment. Below are some of our environmental practices.

We are an Advanced Eco Certified Tour Operator

Cruise Whitsundays has Advanced Eco Certification for Camira Sailing Adventure, Great Barrier Reef Adventures, Reefsleep and the Whitehaven Beach Day Cruises. This globally recognised certificate is only given to Australia's leading and most innovative ecotourism products. We are committed to achieving best practice, using resources wisely, contributing to the conservation of the environment and helping local communities. Visit www.ecotourism.org.au for more info.

Our partnership with Eco Barge Clean Seas

Cruise Whitsundays is a proud partner of Eco Barge Clean Seas, a local not for profit environmental organisation that was established in the Whitsundays region to protect our precious marine life and aquatic environment. Eco Barge has a number of initiatives, with many opportunities for volunteers, sponsors and supporters to become involved:

The Whitsunday Marine Debris Removal Program is an on-going program focused on removing harmful marine debris from the islands and coastline to help protect the iconic Whitsunday region.

The Whitsunday Turtle Rescue Centre was established to care for injured and sick marine turtles and eventually release them back into their natural environment.

Our Great Barrier Reef Conservation Efforts

The Great Barrier Reef is such a fragile environment. We implement the following practices for reef conservation at our 'Great Barrier Reef Adventures' site:

An environmental awareness staff training program to ensure all staff are well-trained, qualified and competent with regards to issues relating to the environment.

Eco signage is provided in several languages to protect the coral and marine life.

We include environmental components in the snorkel brief and is also translated into other languages.

A policy ensuring all equipment is cleaned using products that do not cause environmental harm.

Appropriate waste and recycling bins are placed in obvious positions on the pontoon. The waste bins that are used are specially designed for outdoor conditions to prevent accidental flyaway littering.

All sewage produced on the Pontoon by caretaker in a 1000 litre holding tank. The contents of the holding tank are then transferred to the passenger transfer vessel for approved disposal, as per the vessel Sewage Management Plan and Sea Dumping Permit.

A desalination unit provides fresh water.

All unnecessary engines are shut down and turned off at night.

No toxic antifoul is applied to fixed structures (pontoons) or vessels.

Seabirds are discouraged from roosting on pontoon structures and vessels using sound to eliminate excessive guano deposits.